SPECIAL REPORT
Skill development is intricately linked with manufacturing
growth. Over the last ten years, Indian Government and
Industry have taken strident steps to fast-track the country’s
manufacturing growth. The Government aims to raise the
manufacturing share of India’s GDP from 16-17 percent to
25 percent by the year 2025. While manufacturing growth is
key to creating large-scale employment, it can happen only
if there is a large pool of skilled manpower that can support
different industrial activities.
Therefore, the importance of skill development in terms
of manufacturing growth can hardly be overstated.
Manufacturing growth is vitally important for Africa’s
economic progress. While the majority of African economies
are agrarian and primary producers of metals and minerals,
it is extremely important for them to move up the global
production value chain, which can happen with focused
attention on manufacturing growth and excellence.
Massive skill development initiatives, therefore, assume
critical signifi cance for the African economies and societies.
COMESA, through its forum and business leaders, can forge
partnerships in the area of skill development.
Moving on to the second dimension, that of ‘Entrepreneur-
ship’, I am happy to state that India has maintained a sharp
focus on this vital aspect too. The government of India has
launched the high decibel ‘Startup India’ action plan with the
express purpose of facilitating single window clearances for
start-ups and easy fi nancing for these businesses.
Also, taking cognisance of the challenges seen in the
fi nancing of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs),
Government of India set up the MUDRA bank that extends
collateral-free loans to MSMEs. MSMEs account for over 40
percent of India’s industrial output, employment, and exports.
It is important that entrepreneurship in the MSME space is
promoted in a big way.
Skill development is
intricately linked with
manufacturing growth. Over
the last ten years, Indian
Government and Industry
have taken strident steps
to fast-track the country’s
manufacturing growth.
The government of India and Indian industry have also
established various innovation and incubation labs to support
entrepreneurship development. These entrepreneurship
development initiatives, too, will have great relevance in the
African context where MSMEs have key roles cut out in the
overall development matrix.
I am happy to state that India has been actively engaged
in various capacity building initiatives in Africa. Under the
long-standing Government of India’s ITEC programme, a
large number of young African students have been receiving
professional and technical training at Indian universities and
other centres of learning for decades.
India is fully committed to establishing specialised
technical training institutes in different parts of Africa.
Indian industry has also created internship opportunities
for young African professionals and skilled workers from
time to time.
While the bilateral initiatives taken to forge partnerships
for skill development and entrepreneurship development are
commendable, there is much more to be done in this space,
keeping in view the demographics of both regions.
COMESA• 2018 • 31